Field of the Invention
The aspect of the embodiments relates to an image forming apparatus in which a container containing a developing material is detachable.
Description of the Related Art
An image forming apparatus of an electrophotographic method forms an image by developing an electrostatic latent image formed on a photosensitive member by a developing material in the developer. Since there is a limit of an amount of the developing material that can be accumulated in the developer, the developing material is replenished to the developer according to need from a container, which is detachable to the image forming apparatus.
Since there is also a limit of the developing material in the container, the developing material cannot be replenished from the container to the developer when there is no more developing material in the container. Thus, when there is no more developing material in the container, the image forming apparatus notifies a user that the container is to be replaced.
However, the user may sometimes replace the container even when the amount of the developing material in the container is equal to or greater than a predetermined amount. In this point of view, an image forming apparatus according to US Patent Laid-Open No. 2006/0045546 displays a screen to warn that there is still some developing material in a container if the container is detached before the container becomes empty. According to the image forming apparatus described in US Patent Laid-Open No. 2006/0045546, since the user is notified that it is not a timing to replace the container, it is prevented that the container, which still contains some developing material, is replaced.
According to the image forming apparatus described in US Patent Laid-Open No. 2006/0045546, a warning screen is displayed at a timing the container is detached, even when the container is to be taken out before the container becomes empty. For example, when the developing material in the container is agglutinated, the developing material may not be properly replenished from the container. In this case, by loosening the agglutinated developing material in the container, the developing material can be properly replenished from the container. This causes a situation that the user is to take out the container once, loosen the developing material in the container, and reattach the container.
However, according to the image forming apparatus described in US Patent Laid-Open No. 2006/0045546, when the container is taken out while there is still some developing material in the container, the warning screen is automatically displayed. Thus, the user may reattach the container without loosening the agglutinated developing material in the container. In this case, it remains in a situation that the container cannot properly perform a replenishment. In other words, the image forming apparatus described in US Patent Laid-Open No. 2006/0045546 may cause a reduced usability